Rakesh K. Jain

Bio: Rakesh K. Jain is an academic researcher from Harvard University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Angiogenesis & Vascular endothelial growth factor. The author has an hindex of 200, co-authored 1467 publications receiving 177727 citations. Previous affiliations of Rakesh K. Jain include Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram & University of Oslo.

The Bikini Area and Bikini Line as a Location for Anterior Subcutaneous Pelvic Fixation: An Anatomic and Clinical Investigation

Abstract: Anterior external fixation for pelvic fractures has been the standard for acute stabilization but definitive treatment often leads to pin tract infection, is uncomfortable, and limits patient mobility. We recently developed a subcutaneous anterior pelvic fixator which addresses these issues (INFIX). The objective of this study is to introduce the Bikini Area and Bikini Line as the subcutaneous anatomical location where this apparatus is placed. A study was preformed on eight cadaveric specimens to define the location of the subcutaneous device with respect to anatomic structures. We examined 23 people of various body mass indexes to examine the anterior pelvic anatomy. This was followed by implantation on 42 individuals in whom we reviewed CT scans to assess the location of the implant. We asked these same 42 individuals whether they could sit, stand, and lie on their sides and if they had any discomfort. We measured the dimensions of 26 retrieved rods to approximate the curve of the Bikini Line. Finally in 14 individuals we performed vascular ultrasound to assess the flow in the iliac and femoral vessels with the implant in place in the sitting and standing position. Neurovascular structures are not affected by placing the INFIX device at the Bikini Line, patients are comfortable, mobile and complications are minimized by this procedure. A rod placed on the Bikini Line which connects screws inserted into the anterior inferior iliac spine on each side does not interfere with sitting, standing, or the neurovascular structures.

Oxygenation in tumors by modified hemoglobins.

Abstract: The effect of systemic injection of modified hemoglobin (Hb) prepared from bovine, human, or mouse Hb on tumor oxygenation was investigated. Hb was modified by (1) diisothiocyanatobenzenesulfonate (DIBS) to yield cross-linking within a tetramer; (2) glycolaldehyde (Glyal) to yield cross-linking between and within tetramers; (3) carboxymethylation (Cm) to change oxygen affinity; or (4) poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to yield attachment between tetramers. HGL9 (human glioma) in nude mice and FSaII (mice fibrosarcoma) in C3H mice were used as tumor models. Dose and time dependency were detected in the oxygenation effect by bovine-PEG-Hb. Internal cross-linkage prolonged the half-life in the circulation, and thus showed a significant effect. Compared to bovine-CmHb, bovine-DIBS-Hb and bovine-DIBS-CmHb were more effective. Decreasing the oxygen affinity by Cm significantly enhanced tumor oxygenation. Human-DIBS-CmHb was more effective than human-DIBS-Hb. These effects were caused by oxygen carrying capacity of modified Hbs as well as hemodynamic factors, and the injection seemed to reduce both perfusion-limited (acute) and diffusion-limited (chronic) hypoxia.

Clearing the smoke on nicotine and angiogenesis.

Abstract: Nicotine is widely used as an aid to smoking cessation and is being evaluated to treat non-smoking related disorders. Stimulation of angiogenesis by nicotine raises many questions about its mechanism of action and use in therapy. (pages 833–839 )

Mathematical Model of Oxygen Transport in Tuberculosis Granulomas.

Abstract: Pulmonary granulomas—the hallmark of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection—are dense cellular lesions that often feature regions of hypoxia and necrosis, partially due to limited transport of oxygen. Low oxygen in granulomas can impair the host immune response, while MTB are able to adapt and persist in hypoxic environments. Here, we used a physiologically based mathematical model of oxygen diffusion and consumption to calculate oxygen profiles within the granuloma, assuming Michaelis–Menten kinetics. An approximate analytical solution—using a priori and newly estimated parameters from experimental data in a rabbit model of tuberculosis—was able to predict the size of hypoxic and necrotic regions in agreement with experimental results from the animal model. Such quantitative understanding of transport limitations can inform future tuberculosis therapeutic strategies that may include adjunct host-directed therapies that facilitate oxygen and drug delivery for more effective treatment.

Mapping Physical Tumor Microenvironment and Drug Delivery

Abstract: The physical microenvironment of pancreatic tumors is highly abnormal, and this causes significant challenges for drug delivery through multiple mechanisms. Measurements of tissue elasticity could be used as a physical biomarker to assess aberrant drug delivery, and potentially guide stroma-targeting treatment strategies and patient stratification.See related article by Wang et al., p. 2136.

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

Bevacizumab plus irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin for metastatic colorectal cancer

Abstract: background Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, has shown promising preclinical and clinical activity against metastatic colorectal cancer, particularly in combination with chemotherapy. methods Of 813 patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer, we randomly assigned 402 to receive irinotecan, bolus fluorouracil, and leucovorin (IFL) plus bevacizumab (5 mg per kilogram of body weight every two weeks) and 411 to receive IFL plus placebo. The primary end point was overall survival. Secondary end points were progression-free survival, the response rate, the duration of the response, safety, and the quality of life. results The median duration of survival was 20.3 months in the group given IFL plus bevacizumab, as compared with 15.6 months in the group given IFL plus placebo, corresponding to a hazard ratio for death of 0.66 (P<0.001). The median duration of progressionfree survival was 10.6 months in the group given IFL plus bevacizumab, as compared with 6.2 months in the group given IFL plus placebo (hazard ratio for disease progression, 0.54; P<0.001); the corresponding rates of response were 44.8 percent and 34.8 percent (P=0.004). The median duration of the response was 10.4 months in the group given IFL plus bevacizumab, as compared with 7.1 months in the group given IFL plus placebo (hazard ratio for progression, 0.62; P=0.001). Grade 3 hypertension was more common during treatment with IFL plus bevacizumab than with IFL plus placebo (11.0 percent vs. 2.3 percent) but was easily managed. conclusions The addition of bevacizumab to fluorouracil-based combination chemotherapy results in statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

SPAdes, a new genome assembly algorithm and its applications to single-cell sequencing ( 7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

Abstract: The lion's share of bacteria in various environments cannot be cloned in the laboratory and thus cannot be sequenced using existing technologies. A major goal of single-cell genomics is to complement gene-centric metagenomic data with whole-genome assemblies of uncultivated organisms. Assembly of single-cell data is challenging because of highly non-uniform read coverage as well as elevated levels of sequencing errors and chimeric reads. We describe SPAdes, a new assembler for both single-cell and standard (multicell) assembly, and demonstrate that it improves on the recently released E+V-SC assembler (specialized for single-cell data) and on popular assemblers Velvet and SoapDeNovo (for multicell data). SPAdes generates single-cell assemblies, providing information about genomes of uncultivatable bacteria that vastly exceeds what may be obtained via traditional metagenomics studies. SPAdes is available online ( http://bioinf.spbau.ru/spades ). It is distributed as open source software.